City councillors will be asked on Monday to approve lending a council-owned Willow St commercial premises to the police rent free for one year.
City councillors will be asked to approve lending a council-owned premises rent free to police.
It is one of a bundle of proposals presented in a recent committee meeting on March 25 with the intention of curbing bad behaviour at the Tauranga Art Gallery bus stop in the city centre.
Councillors agreed to paying $32,000 a year for a security guard and asking the city's Maori Wardens to keep an eye on things, as well as asking staff to question police about moving the Police Information Centre from Devonport Rd.
Maori Wardens were on the job the following day with an immediate impact. Now, council staff believe coupled with a greater police presence, the need for a security guard will vanish.
But if council agrees to hand over the premises, former housing a library arcade café, rent free for a year, the council stands to lose $21,554 in rent.
The former Boardroom Cafe is empty. There have been a couple of inquiries but those have been put on hold.
The current Police Information Centre – also rent free – is in the Westpac Trust Building on Devonport Rd.
It is used as a base for community volunteers who staff the office and conduct foot patrols of the Tauranga CBD. The volunteers and Maori Wardens maintain radio contact with police.
Police are willing to further explore the relocation option, as long as the deal is rent free.
Additional levels of service in the vicinity of Willow St's bus centre are not provided for in the 2012/22 Ten Year Plan.
14 comments
Taxes pay for Police, rates pay for Council
Posted on 21-04-2013 14:05 | By Phailed
It shouldn't be a double hit. Insist the Police do their job maintaining law and order. Since they claim crime is down, they must have the staff to do the job. Rent free means ratepayers pay through their rates and their taxes.
Great Idea
Posted on 21-04-2013 14:20 | By carpedeum
Wow this really would assist in sorting out the poor behaviour around the Bus Stop!!!
Maori Wardens doing the business
Posted on 21-04-2013 14:25 | By Murray.Guy
The Council agenda confirms that the presence of the voluntary Maori Wardens has greatly improved the situation, to the extent paid security guards have not been needed. Why anyone would consider providing the police with a $22,000 ratepayer funded office is beyond me, mindful that the private sector is doing so at the moment, and I pay taxes to cover police functions! PS: There is no such thing as 'rent free for a year'. This would become forever, unless the Police wanted out!
Rusty Kane
Posted on 21-04-2013 15:01 | By Rusty Kane
Wrong Wrong Wrong .. the council is over reacting to a public concern at ratepayers expense .. the council has just enlisted volunteer Wardens to do the job at no cost to the ratepayer .. the police being only up the hill can be there in two minutes if the Wardens can't move trouble makers along .. why the need for the extra over kill with ratepayers money .. by having a permanent police presents 24/7 tying up police resources .. ratepayers already pay for police through their taxes .. why should they have to pay twice .. maybe the council has to much money to burn .. or more likely It's election year.
Don't think so
Posted on 21-04-2013 15:45 | By waiknot
UM sorry but what is that big building just up the road that is being built for? I pay taxes for a verity of things including a police service, I don't pay rates for this.
Waste
Posted on 21-04-2013 16:23 | By Viking
If the plods hadn't of wasted 2.5 million on shifting to tempoary quarters and back again, and instead had bought the Placemakers site, they wouldn't need to pay rent forever on the site gifted to the locals that often tend to be their customers. Had they done that then they could pay the ratepayers the rent they desrve. More govt. waste.
Not much rent.
Posted on 21-04-2013 16:47 | By dgk
I'd say that TCC needs to talk to the Minister of Police about why the government can't afford the rent required for the Police to do their job.
A Back Scratching Deal
Posted on 21-04-2013 17:59 | By bigted
We have a brand new police station just up the road. Surely there is room at the police station, or, are they too lazy to walk into town? Regarding the shop rental - maybe, just maybe someone will rent the premises. Better that than a gauranteed nothing if a backscratching deal is done.
Empty cafe, wonder why?
Posted on 21-04-2013 18:27 | By Accountable1
The only thing I know is that this empty cafe is costing ratepayers money through no rent being received? Can council make a success of anything? Can't they even lease out a cafe?
street low life
Posted on 21-04-2013 21:40 | By Glen Clova
The seats and the roof over them is the problem,Make them so that they swing up after last bus has gone and also try playing classical music.
Murray is right on this one
Posted on 22-04-2013 09:58 | By Phailed
Cr Guy and me for once agree on this one. The police just need to be out and about like they were doing when the problem fell away a bit. But the only reason the cafe space is available for the Police in the first place is because Council doesn't seem to be able to rent it out. Similar to how they can't seem to get a hotel deal, or marine deal, or organise decently functioning hotpools, and the list goes on.
Accountable1
Posted on 22-04-2013 10:10 | By earlybird
since you're obviously so smart why don't you lease it? Put your money where your mouth is.
Yeah right!
Posted on 22-04-2013 13:09 | By Jitter
I bet the Maori Wardens don't do the job for nothing. How about setting up a European and others warden scheme ? Or would that be considered racist ?
@earlybird
Posted on 23-04-2013 09:59 | By Accountable1
I'm not smart. I'm just highlighting how when Council gets into business ventures, even leasing a cafe, they don't seem to be able to pull it off. When they fail, you pay (if you;re a ratepayer). Is that so hard to understand?
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